Railroad tie



July 8 1924. r 1,500,139

H. c. LORD RAILROAD TIE Filed June 27. 1921 Jn minim? Patented July 8, i924.

omen.

HUGH C. LORD, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

i RAILROAD TIE. 1 's f 1 Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,616.

To all whom it may concern:

., Be it known that I, HUGH C. LORD, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad Ties, of Which the following is a specification.

This railroad tie is designed to carry a maximum load with a minimum amount of metal to retain its engagement with the rail under the very severe jar and shocks to which it is subjected, to give a slight amount of elasticity, to aiford a surface around which the ballast may be readily tamped and to provide a structure which may be readily put in place and locked in engagement with the rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Fig. 1 shows. a side elevation, partly in section, on the line 11 in Fig. 2.

. Fig. 2 a plan view of the tie. Fig. 3a section on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 a section on the line ie- 1: in Fig. 3.

l1 mark the rails. These are of ordinary shape provided with the flanges 1* at their bottoms. The tie is formed of two tubes 22. These tubes are formed of bent metal plate with the meeting edges 2 at the bottom. Each tube is provided with lips 3 which are struck up from the tops of the tubes and from the metal forming the tubes. These lips are of a shape to? engage the flanges 1 of the rails. The two lips 3-3 on each tube extend in the same direction and the lips of one tube extend in a direction opposite from those of the other tube, the two tubes being interchangeable but reversed in position as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each tube has two securing tongues 4-4L struck up of the metal in the sides of the tubes. As the tongues are struck up they form openings 5 and the tongues are inclined outwardly. In placing the ties in "positionthe two tubes are arranged in position under the rails with the lips 3 at the edges of the flanges and the tongues a in initial engagement. The two tubes are then forced 'endwise forcing the lips 3 over the flanges with av spring grip and forcing the tongues 41 along each other so that the two tubes are locked together.

In order to prevent a sliding of the tubes oneon the other so as to disengage them from the rails I provide the stops 6. These are formed by a vertical slit and an indenture inwardly one side of the slit and outwardly at the opposite side of the slit and these are placed the adjacent faces of the tubes so that as the tubes areforced, endwise the slanting surfaces are in engagement and as they are brought to place the stops snap past the engaging faces, the protuberances of one nesting in the socket of the other and the opposing faces fully looking the tubes against a return or unlocking I movement. If, however, it is desired to remove a tie a thin bar is placed between the tubes and they are sprung apart suflicientl 7 to clear the stops 6. The tubes are then forced endwise bringing the lips 3 out of engagement with the flanges and the tongues 1 out of engagement so that. the parts are removed. g

I prefer to form the tubes of generalrectangular shape, slightly elongated in avertical direction, so t-hatthe completed tie will be nearly square and I prefer to round the corners suflic-iently to givev a slight elasticity to the tie. In the drawings a very slight rounding of the corners is shown but this may be increased if it is desired toincrease the elasticity. Only-a small amount of elasticity is desirable. It will be noted that this structure affords four vertical webs for carrying the load and in :consequence the gauge of metal used may be comparatively light. It will also be notedthat all parts are integral so that there can be no danger of the ar t which the tie will be subjected loosening any of the engaging parts. I

What I claim as new is 1. Ina railroad tie, the combination of two plates having rail flangeengaging lips, the lips of one plate extending in a direction opposite'to that of the other and adapted to be moved over a. rail flange by, end wise movement of the two plates relatively to each other; and automatic means locking the plates in engaging position as they are moved endwise into engagement.

2. In a railroad tie, the combination of two plates having rail flange engaging lips, the lips of one plate extending in a direction opposite to that of the other and adapted to be moved over a rail flange by endwise movement of the two plates relatively to each other; and means for locking the plates in engaging position, comprising interengaging stops on the plates moved automatically into locking relation as the lips are moved into engagement.

3. In a railroad tie, the combination of two plates having rail flange engaging lips, the lips of one plate extending in a direction opposite to that of the other and adapted to be moved over a rail flange by endwise movement of the two plates relatively to each other; and means for locking the plates in engaging position comprising interlocking tongues on the plates moved into interlocking position as the lips are moved into engagement and inter-engaging stops on the plates moved into locking relation as the plates are moved endwlseand preventing a return or disengaging movement of the plates.

4. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes having rail flange engaging lips on their upper sides, the lips of one tube extending in a direction opposite to that of the other and being adapted to be moved over a rail flange by endwise movement of the two tubes relatively to each other; and means for locking the tubes together in engaging position comprising interlocking tongues on the plates moved into locking position as the lips are moved into engagement.

5. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes having rail flange engaging lips on their upper sides, the lips of one tube extending in a direction opposite to that of the other and being adapted to be moved over a rail flange by endwise movement of the two tubes relatively to each other; and means for locking the tubes together in en gaging position comprising interlocking tongues on the plates moved into locking position as the lips are moved'into engagement and inter-engaging stops on the tubes moved into locking relation as the-tongues are moved into engagement and preventing a return or disengaging movement of the tubes.

6. In a railroad tie, the combination of two plates; means formed integrally with the plates for locking a rail with the plates by an endwise movement of the plates relatively to each other; and means for locking the plates in engaging position comprising stops formed integrally with the plates and moved automatically into locking relation as the first-mentioned means is moved into engagement.

7. In a railroad tie, the combination of two plates; means formed integrally with the plates for locking a rail with the plates by an endwise movement of the plates rela tively to each other; and means for locking the plates in engaging position comprising interlocking tongues formed integrally with the plates and moved into locking position as the first-mentioned means is moved into engagement.

8. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes; means formed integrally with the tubes for looking a rail with the tubes by an endwise movement of the tubes relatively to each other; and automatic means for locking the tubes in engaging position as they are moved endwise into engagement.

9. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes; means formed integrally with the tubes for looking a rail with the tubes by an endwise movement of the tubes rela tively to each other; and automatic means formed integrally with the tubes for looking the tubes in engaging position as they are moved endwise into engagement.

10. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes; means formed integrally with the tubes for looking a rail with the tubes by an endwise movement of the tubes relatively to each other; and means formed integrally with the tubes for locking the tubes in engaging position comprising inter-- engaging stops on the tubes moved into locking relation as the tubes are moved into engagement with the rail.

11. In a railroad tie, the combination of two tubes, means formed integrally with the tubes for looking a rail with the tubes by an endwise movement of the tubes relatively to each other; and means for locking the tubes together in engaging position comprising interlocking tongues formed tegrally with the tubes moved into locking position as the tubes are moved into position to engage the rail.

12. In a rallroad tie, the combination of two tubes having lips struck up from their upper sides, the lips of onetube extending in a direction opposite to that-of the lips of the other tube and adapted to engage the flange of a rail as the tubes are moved endwise relatively to each other; tongues struck out of the sides of the tubes and adapted to interlock as the tubes are moved endwise for locking the tubes together; and stops struck out 01": the sides of thetubes and adapted to move into locking position as the tubes are moved endwise to engage the flange of a rail.

13. In a railroad tie, the combination of two similar plates arrangedin parallel and reverse position relatively to each other and having means for engaging rail flanges by endwise movement of the plates relatively to each other; and means for locking the plates together brought into locking (POSI- tion by the endwise movement of said plates.

14. In a railroad tie, the combination of two similar plates arranged in parallel and reverse position relatively to each other and having means for engaging rail flanges by the tops 'of all the vertical walls of the 10 endwise movement of the plates relatively tubes having rounded portions giving elasto each other; and means for locking the tic support to the upper or supporting walls plates together brought into locking posiof the tubes; means for securing the tubes '5 tion by the endwise movement of said plates together; and means formed integrally with comprising interlocking devices and stops the tubes for engaging a rail. 15 for holding the locking devices 1n position; In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15. In a railroad tie, the combination of my hand.

two tubes forming a support for the rail, HUGH C. LORD. 

